Reproducibility of Full-field Electroretinogram Measurements in Birdshot Chorioretinopathy Patients: An Intra- and Inter-visit Analysis

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2021 Jul 4;29(5):848-853. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2019.1697824. Epub 2020 Jan 4.

Abstract

Purpose: Aims to determine the variability of ffERG measurements in patients with clinically stable birdshot chorioretinopathy (BCR).Methods: Repeatability coefficients (RC) of ffERG amplitudes and implicit times were calculated from 11 BCR patients. Jackknife resampling estimated 95% confidence intervals of each ERG parameter's RC and the percentage change explained by variability alone was calculated.Results: Intra-visit variability in ffERG parameters was lower than inter-visit. Intravisit RCs demonstrated that for intravisit ERG testing, there was less than 30% variation in ERG amplitude for most parameters. For inter-visit ERG testing, a greater than 40% reduction in ERG amplitude may be clinically meaningful for 6 of 8 ERG parameters. Photopic single flash responses have <2 msec of test-retest variability both within and across visits.Conclusions: A 40% reduction in ERG amplitude and/or a delay of >2 msec in the photopic single flash response may be suitable criteria for meaningful change in BCR patients.

Keywords: Electroretinography; birdshot chorioretinopathy; test variability.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Birdshot Chorioretinopathy / diagnosis
  • Birdshot Chorioretinopathy / physiopathology*
  • Dark Adaptation / physiology
  • Electroretinography / standards*
  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Observer Variation
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Retina / physiopathology*